NBC renews ‘Up All Night,’ ‘Whitney,’ and yanks ‘Playboy Club’

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Proving that lack of sleep and being happily unmarried have their perks, NBC has picked up new comedies “Up All Night” and “Whitney” for a full season.

“We made comedy an important goal for us this season and I’m very pleased to be making full-season commitments to both ‘Whitney’ and ‘Up All Night’,” Robert Greenblatt, chairman of NBC Entertainment, said in a statement. “We’re thrilled with the creative direction of both shows as well as the potential for them to continue to build loyal audiences over the coming months. We’re proud of all of the producers, writers, actors, and directors who have worked so hard to bring these shows to life.”

In “Up All Night,” created by Emily Spivey (“Saturday Night Live,” “Parks and Recreation”), Christina Applegate and Will Arnett star as later-in-life parents trying to hold on to the kid-less lifestyle they knew for so long. The show airs Wednesdays at 8 p.m. Eastern/Pacific. Meanwhile, “Whitney,” which looks at unwedded bliss through the lens of Whitney Cummings (“Chelsea Lately”), is part of Thursday’s comedy block on the peacock network, with “The Office” as its lead-in.

The two series are the first pick-ups for the network under Greenblatt, who is determined to restore NBC to its former glory.

Meanwhile, signaling the end of “The Playboy Club,” NBC has yanked it from its schedule and plans to air NBC News’ prime-time newsmagazine, “Rock Center With Brian Williams,” in its 10 p.m. Monday time slot beginning Oct. 31. Other freshman series“Free Agents” is rumored to be heading to the chopping block.

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TV reviews: ‘Up All Night,’ ‘Free Agents’

TV review: ‘Whitney’s’ comic timing gains steam

-- Yvonne Villarreal
twitter.com/villarrealy